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Ray Keener: Boulder police -- A kind and gentle force

Posted:
01/27/2013 01:00:00 AM MST

I don't support the killing of elk within the Boulder city limits. And... the outrage and hand-wringing over this incident has reached a level that deserves comment.

Boulder has a kinder, gentler police force than any other I've experienced. In asking around, this seems to be a common perception. And like any group, there are some officers who occasionally behave badly and need to be reined in. That seems to be happening, just as it should.

People who expect police to "embrace Boulder's community values," even be required to live in Boulder, are out of touch with reality.

Policing is a stressful, sometimes brutal, quasi-military job. People who want to do this work (and I'm generalizing here) are not likely to be Occupiers and vegans. Their job often involves physical confrontation, even violence. They walk around all day with a handgun on their belt and a shotgun in their car.

Their hobbies include butchering game animals and taxidermy. They live in Longmont because the appeal of a 40 percent bigger house is greater than Life in the Bubble.

We get the police force we deserve. And I mean that as a positive. I think our police and their leadership do a great job under trying circumstances. C'mon, Boulder, move along. Nothing more to see here.

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